Curious fine for Carlos Sainz after the Formula 1 race in Japan: The Spaniard receives a hefty fine and struggles with traffic in Suzuka
Carlos Sainz has been fined €20,000 for being late for the national anthem before the Japanese Grand Prix. However, the penalty is curious: €10,000 is due immediately, with the other €10,000 suspended for 12 months. What makes the case particularly unusual is that Sainz’s tardiness was caused by health complaints.
According to the stewards, “the driver did not arrive until after the national anthem had started”. They explained that “the need to arrive respectfully for the anthem is of the utmost importance”. Despite the fact that Sainz’s lateness was excused by stomach problems and the confirmation of team doctor Dr. Messina, a penalty was decided.
“The stewards heard the driver, the team and the medic and checked the video,” the statement said. ‘It is recognized that the driver was late for health reasons, but respect for the national anthem remains a top priority.’
Strategic poker with soft tires and good pace in free driving
The race itself was also challenging for Sainz. “It was definitely a bit of a shame,” said the Williams driver after the race. Sainz actually qualified in twelfth place, but after a grid penalty, he had to start the race in fifteenth place.
“Obviously, if you don’t even start from P12, you could have finished in the points.” The close competition in the midfield and the problem of overtaking made it almost impossible to move forward. “It’s so close in the midfield that you have to be seven or eight tenths faster to overtake. It’s almost impossible to expect a race in which you move forward through the field,” he explains.
Despite these setbacks, Sainz was satisfied with his pace in the few laps in which he had a clear run: “I felt comfortable in the few laps in which I had clean air,” said Sainz. However, even an experiment with the strategy could not change the starting position.
Williams relied on the soft tire in combination with an overcut strategy with Sainz in the last stint, but points remained out of reach. In the end, Sainz finished in 14th place. “It’s still a difficult race when you’re in that position,” he sums up.
Optimism despite setbacks: Sainz looks ahead
Despite the disappointing result, Sainz is optimistic. “I was really happy in the only few laps I had in clean air, but now, like in Monaco, it’s difficult to overtake when you have to move up on the track,” he explains. The realization that the car had good overall pace gives him confidence for the future, even if team-mate Alexander Albon continues to seem to have the edge.
“I feel like we still have a lot of work to do on the set-up, as we discovered some weaknesses with the car yesterday after qualifying,” says Sainz. ‘We are losing a lot of time in certain areas of the track, which is consistent with the feel of the car that I have. I think that with more work on the set-up and with the upcoming races, we will continue to make progress.’
